Frequently asked questions..
Q -
Can Ultraseal hide or mask a
puncture that could be
seriously dangerous?
A - No! Absolutely not...
It is virtually impossible
for Ultraseal to hide or mask a dangerous wound. 36 years of worldwide usage and
countless tests which have been performed have proven that Ultraseal will not
seal a tyre that has received a wound that would weaken the tyre's inner
structure to a point that could be dangerous.
The U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Command (TACOM) in conjunction with the U.S.
Army Proving Grounds in Yuma, AZ. (YPG) tested Ultraseal and substantiated that
Ultraseal "does not mask catastrophic failures".
If a tyre receives a dangerous wound,
Ultraseal allows air to bleed, providing additional time for the driver to bring
the vehicle to a controlled stop. This safety factor can reduce potential
blowouts from becoming a dangerous situation. Many security and law
enforcement fleets utilize Ultraseal for its ability to provide a high degree of
safety and reliability rather than Ultraseal's cost savings and tyre life
extension qualities.
Q - Can Ultraseal be used in all types of tyres?
A - Generally Yes!
For the past 31 years, Ultraseal has been utilized in virtually every conceivable pneumatic tyre, accumulating millions of miles, in major fleets around the world, without any premature failure or adverse effects to the tyres or rims.
Special situations with low profile high performance tyres, may require assistance and support from the Ultraseal Technical Department prior to installation.
Q - Is Ultraseal compatible with tyre components?
A - Yes!
Ultraseal's formulation is fully compatible with all components in any tyre.
Ultraseal has been tested by independent laboratories fresh (new) and even after 40,000 miles, tests results prove Ultraseal exceeds all compatibility requirements.
Q - Will Ultraseal attack or corrode steel belts?
A - No!
Ultraseal's advanced proprietary repair/clot and curing attributes have proven that the specialized rust inhibiting system protects steel belts against rust and corrosion.
The unique ability to cure within a wound also protects the steel belts from outside contaminants. This proprietary attribute is available only with Ultraseal.
Q - Will Ultraseal rust or corrode rims?
A - No!
Ultraseal's rust and corrosion inhibiting system continuously works to prevent rust or corrosion.
Ultraseal cannot eliminate existing rust or corrosion, but will neutralize it and prevent any additional damage.
Q - Can tyres treated with Ultraseal be retreaded?
A - Yes!
Ultraseal is compatible with all retreading methods.
Independent testing has proven that Ultraseal will retard aging in tyres. Ultraseal treated tyres
exhibit greater rubber resilience when compared to untreated control tyres.
Therefore, Ultraseal increases the casings ability to achieve additional retreading. This increased re-treadability provides a lower cost per mile. Casing soundness and re-treadability is certified by your professional retread company.
Q - Can tyres treated with Ultraseal be repaired?
A - Yes!
Ultraseal does not contain any adhesive or chemicals that would alter the tyres integrity.
Ultraseal is totally water-soluble in its liquid state and even when cured it can easily be removed from the interior of any tyre.
All major repairs are performed by simply wiping the wound area with a damp cloth, then wipe dry and repair.
Q - Can Ultraseal be used in tyres with tubes?
A - Yes!
Ultraseal will seal wounds in both tube and tubeless tyres as long as there is rubber recovery and it is not a dangerous wound.
A tube is not one of man's most ingenious inventions, and is very unreliable. The tube is basically made of rubber and synthetics. The wall thickness of a tube is not uniform and rubber content is very critical in terms of elasticity and rubber recovery. A tube that does not contain a sufficient amount of natural rubber can not recover (close up) after sustaining a wound. It is critical that there be rubber recovery to assure a positive secure repair/clot.
When a tube is punctured, the size of the wound in the tube may be much larger than the actual puncturing object, also tubes are very susceptible to ripping.
Q - Does Ultraseal create a mess when a tyre is dismounted?
A - No!
Ultraseal is a viscous gel-like liquid, that does not flow like water. Approximately 80% of the minimum required application amount coats the entyre inner surface of the tyre/rim. The remaining 20% is considered the reserve, which does settle to the bottom only when a tyre is stationary.
When dismounting a tyre containing Ultraseal, there is not enough product collected at the bottom that would allow it to splash out.
If the mechanic breaks the bead prior to releasing all the air from the tyre, the Ultraseal around the bead/rim attempts to prevent the air from escaping, resulting in a small amount of Ultraseal blowing out, as the bead breaks away from the rim. To prevent this from happening, release all of the air pressure prior to breaking the bead.
Once a mechanic understands the simple basics on handling Ultraseal there is never a problem.
Q - Is Ultraseal strictly for repairing a damaged tyre?
A - No!
Ultraseal is a preventative maintenance tyre additive and was designed primarily to be utilized prior to a tyre receiving damage from puncturing objects and/or interior damage caused from operating tyres underinflated.
After installing Ultraseal, the vehicle is driven a minimum of 3 to 5 miles (5 to 8 km), however it is not imperative to drive the vehicle immediately. For Ultraseal to perform its preliminary functions, the tyre and Ultraseal must go through an initial conditioning period, at which time Ultraseal will have completely coated and conditioned the inner surfaces of the tyre/rim.
When a puncture occurs, the Ultraseal coating encapsulates the puncturing object. When the puncturing object is removed or ejected, Ultraseal is drawn into the wound by the capillary action of the escaping air, the wound closes up (rubber recovery) thereby trapping the Ultraseal repair/clot. The repair/clot cures and becomes non water-soluble to protect the inner structure from outside contaminants.
The Ultraseal repair/clot is only as strong as the tyre and can not hide or mask a dangerous wound.
Q - Will Ultraseal repair large wounds?
A - Yes & No!
Ultraseal seals wounds measured by the size of the puncturing object, not the size of the wound.
Regardless of how small a puncture may be, if the puncturing object has extensively damaged the tyres integrity, the wound will continue to bleed air and Ultraseal. This is a safety factor designed into the proprietary Ultraseal formulation.
Ultraseal's commercial/industrial grade will seal wounds made by puncturing objects up to and including 1/4" in diameter.
Ultraseal's EHD grade will seal wounds made by puncturing objects up to 1/2" diameter.
Q - Can Ultraseal maintain correct air pressure?
A - Yes!
Independent laboratory testing has proven without a doubt that Ultraseal has the ability to eliminate porosity and air migration. One of the world's largest retread company's headquarters tested Ultraseal for air retention and positive sealing capabilities. It was reported that Ultraseal was the only tyre sealant that they had tested which provided 100% air retention.
Although Ultraseal will maintain correct air pressure, we recommend that visual inspection be performed on a per trip basis and complete tyre examinations and air pressure inspections be performed at scheduled PM's.
Q - Is Ultraseal a permanent repair?
A - Yes & No!
The tyre Industry claims that "permanent repair" refers to a tyre repair that is permanently attached to the wound area by means of adhesives and/or vulcanization.
Although Ultraseal's repair/clots are positive secure repairs that remain air-tight for the life of the tyre, Ultraseal is not a glue or adhesive.
The proprietary formulation is designed to bleed air and Ultraseal if a tyre has received major structural damage, therefore for safety reasons the permanency of an Ultraseal repair/clot is contingent on the integrity of the tyre.
Q - Does Ultraseal extend tyre life and retard dry rot?
A - Yes!
Independent laboratory tests have proven without a doubt that Ultraseal will retard aging within the inner structure of a tyre.
Independent testing has also proven that Ultraseal will reduce heat and eliminate migrating air which is directly related to increased tyre and casing life.
Q - Does Ultraseal protect steel belts from contamination?
A - Yes!
Independent testing by the world's largest steel belt manufacturer proves that Ultraseal will not cause corrosion.
One of Ultraseal's proprietary attributes is the ability to cure in a wound and become non water-soluble. This phenomenon is how Ultraseal permanently prevents corrosion on steel belts as it protects against outside moisture and contaminants from leaching into the wound as the vehicle is driven.
Q - Will Ultraseal seal sidewall punctures?
A - Yes & No!
However, It is important to realize that Ultraseal cannot hide or mask a dangerous wound.
Radial tyre sidewalls are much thinner in construction than the rest of the tyre. Even though there is some rubber recovery, if the wound has not weakened the structure of the tyre, it will seal.
If the wound is dangerous, Ultraseal is designed to bleed and the tyre will deflate in a slow controlled manner. Regardless of the tyre, the sidewall is the most vulnerable area. Ultraseal Intl. does not guarantee positive secure repair/clots on crown or sidewall punctures.
Q - Is an Ultraseal repair as good as a patch?
A - Yes!
In most cases, Ultraseal is better than a patch, the reason being is that Ultraseal is a preventative.
A patch is a repair that is performed after the tyre has gone flat and in most cases has been driven flat for some distance. Driving on a flat radial tyre even for a short distance will create extensive internal damage that is irreversible and normally goes unnoticed by the repair person.
Preventative Maintenance is always better and safer than an after the fact repair.
This enormous safety enhancement is a major factor in utilizing Ultraseal tyre Life Extender/sealer as preventative maintenance.
Q - Will Ultraseal eventually dry or ball up in the tyre?
A - No!
Ultraseal's Thixogel™ protects against separation and formulation breakdown. tyres exposed to normal operational temperatures and high speed, will not cause Ultraseal to break down.
Q- Does Ultraseal run to the bottom of the tyre?
A - No!
Ultraseal's Thixogel™ transforms the formulation into a unique gel state that seems to defy gravity, allowing it to cling to the entyre inner surface of the tyre/rim.
There are no adhesives in the formula and Ultraseal will not cause chemical changes to the tyre which would void a tyre warranty.
This ability to coat the inner surface of both the tyre and rim is one of Ultraseal Intl's closely guarded proprietary secrets.
Q - Will Ultraseal last as long as the tyre?
A - Yes!
Ultraseal Intl. warranties Ultraseal tyre Life Extender/sealer for the legal tread life of the tyre.
Since 1969, Ultraseal tyre Life Extender/sealer has never failed to provide tyre protection.
Ultraseal's Thixogel™ enables the formulation to withstand heat, sheer and stress resulting from centrifugal force emanating from a rotating tyre/rim.
Q - Does Ultraseal freeze in cold climates? A - No!
Ultraseal's operating temperatures are -40°C (-40°F) to +149°C (+300°F).
Ultraseal has passed the freezing requirements of the United States Postal Service Generic tyre Sealant Specifications.
Ultraseal will not freeze when operating a vehicle in cold climates. In extreme cold weather below -40°C/F, Ultraseal will slightly thicken, but as the tyre heats up from normal road friction, Ultraseal quickly returns to its normal viscosity.
Q - Is it difficult to install Ultraseal ?
A - No!
All of Ultraseal's professional application equipment have been designed for "ease of use".
To install Ultraseal, into tyres of an average passenger car or light truck requires less than 2 minutes per tyre, while a large truck averages 5 minutes per tyre.
Q - Must you deflate the tyre to apply Ultraseal ?
A - No!
Ultraseal Intl's patented deluxe Valve Core Remover tool (VCR), is an air tight tool that quick-connects to the pump hose and is designed to assist the installer in removing the valve core while keeping the system air tight.
The VCR tool allows the installer to inject Ultraseal into the tyre without deflating the tyre.
Q - Is the amount of Ultraseal in a tyre critical?
A - Yes!
In order for Ultraseal to establish a complete coating throughout the entyre inner surface of the tyre/rim and have a 20% reserve, it required that Ultraseal's Engineers calculate the total inner surface of all tyre/rim combinations and the amount of Ultraseal required per tyre/rim assembly.
Ultraseal Intl. publishes application charts which lists all current tyre sizes and use profiles, with minimum and maximum amounts of Ultraseal required per tyre. These charts are located in Ultraseal's Technical Manual.
The specially designed and patented manual and pneumatic pump equipment measures Ultraseal as it's being injected into the tyre.
The manual pump measures one to nine units of Ultraseal per stroke.
The pneumatic pump measures one to thirty two units of Ultraseal and can be preset to inject a specific amount for multiple strokes.
Ultraseal pumps will inject sealant into tyres against air pressure of up to 125 psi.
Q - Does Ultraseal have a shelf life warranty?
A - Yes!
Ultraseal Intl. certifies that when stored in factory sealed original containers, out of direct sunlight and in a temperature range of -07°C (+20°F) to +35°C (95°F) Ultraseal may be stored for at least 60 months.
